Is Your Agency One Of The 99% (Does Your Agency Have the Patience to See New Business Through?)

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Post by RSW/US Vice President, Client Services Juri Tults

No, the question I ask is not an economic one because nearly every ad agency would answer they could be enjoying more billings and bottom line profit.

My question is upstream from billings and profits, and has everything to do with the basics of new business… staying in front of prospects through mail, email and phone calls, whether they are in a buying mood or not.

When I oversaw new business for my agency not that long ago I never took a prospect’s “No , not today,” the inability to reach them by phone after repeated attempts or their lack of returning a voice mail as meaning never.

However, that is often how it seems 99% of agencies look at new business when attempting to reach out to prospects… one swing, sometimes two and maybe a third, and if they miss a connection, they’re “out” of patience.

Keep On Keepin’ On Indeed

Frankly, it is often the element of patience and persistence that drives new business success.

RSW/US experiences this all the time with our clients.

While we strive for quick success, the rewards of our efforts can bear fruit several months or, yes, sometimes a year or more after prospecting began.

Prospects have told us on more than a few occasions that while they never took our call or responded back to an email sent, they were reading our messages, visiting our agency’s website and finding value in our value added emails, even to the point of sharing them with other members of their team.

And all through the silence we are building awareness and credibility on behalf of our agency client, so when our NBD called and the timing was right, the answer was “yes” and let’s talk.

So, does your agency have the patience to see new business through? It’s a war of attrition, driven by patience and persistence. If you have neither, welcome to the 99% and a new business program that won’t reach its full potential.